Aadhaar authentication and digital KYC transactions surge in India

India’s ministry of electronics and IT (MeitY) is celebrating a milestone in Aadhaar-based authentication as it crosses 150 billion transactions.

Launched in 2009 by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI, the Aadhaar system is the world’s largest digital ID system, with governments in Southeast Asia, Africa and beyond referencing its utility as it helps power India’s digital economy and welfare services.

And it’s still growing. In April, 2.1 billion Aadhaar-based authentication transactions were carried out, which is nearly eight percent more than the same month last year. The Aadhaar eKYC service saw 373 million eKYC transactions carried out in April, which is 39.7 percent more than the same period last year, according to a news release.

In addition, Aadhaar Face Authentication solutions developed in-house by UIDAI are having “consistent traction,” according to the ministry. In April, around 140 million such transactions took place, with more than 100 entities in the public and private sector using face biometrics to deliver benefits and services.

Biometric digital ID is playing a key role in India’s growth of the digital economy, the ministry says, with growing adoption in sectors such as banking, finance and others making processes more seamless, secure and efficient.

To underline the change, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh spoke of India’s transformative governance journey in an address to Indian Administrative Service trainees and civil servants. Singh highlighted the Digital Life Certificate Campaign, which has enabled the elderly to verify their identity using face biometrics, eliminating the need to visit physical bank branches, and transforming pension disbursal.

Further changes have been made in simplifying the administrative process, Singh noted, including the introduction of a single pension form, a unified fellowship application portal and the scrapping of more than 1,600 outdated rules, according to a news release.

In related news, Next Biometrics signed an agreement with India-based customer ACPL to supply it with between 55 million and 107 million Norwegian kroner (roughly $5.3 million to $10.3 million) worth of advanced fingerprint sensors for use in Aadhaar identity verification and payment use cases.

Article Topics

Aadhaar  |  biometric authentication  |  biometrics  |  digital economy  |  face biometrics  |  facial authentication  |  India  |  KYC